Expansion bracelet



Jan. 6, 1948. H. CLEINMAN 2,434,144

EXPANSIN BRACELET Filed April 9, 1945 lgvVENToR.

Patented Jan. 6,` 1948 Harry Cleinman, Providence; R. I.,"assignor `to Victor Products Corp., Providence; R., I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application April 9, 1945, Serial No. 587,352

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to watch bracelets and more particularly to an adjustable expansion bracelet.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an expansion watch bracelet that may be readily adjusted to the Wearers wrist.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a Watch bracelet that is readily adjustable at the time of sale and also after the eXpansible portion has lost some of its elasticity or has been stretched.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable expansion bracelet that is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in View, myinvention consists of a novel construction and. arrangement of parts and a novel method of assembly, more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more fully claimed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an adjustable eXpansion watch bracelet embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank for the connecting member;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the connecting member attached to the expansion bracelet;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the connecting member; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same.

Referring more in detail to the drawings illustrating my invention, the watch bracelet IIJ (Fig.

1) comprises an expansible portion I I having connecting members I2 and I3 at each end for attaching to a watch. The expansible portion I I may be of any desired construction but is preferably formed as a flat coil spring as illustrated.

This type of spring, when constructed of properly f tempered piano wire, will provide long wear and elasticity, is highly flexible and expansible, and can readily be assembled and adjusted with the connecting member hereinafter described.

The connecting members I2 and I3 are preferably stamped from sheet stock in the form of a flat bank I4, Fig. 2. The blank I4 is generally rectangular in shape with integral annular ears I5 and I6 extended from opposite edges. The rectangular portions extending to either side of the ears I5 and I6 are of unequal size, the larger portion I1 having a slot I8 adjacent the ear I5.

To form the connecting member, the larger portion I'I is turned against the face of the blank to form a large barrel or tube I9, Figs. 3 and 4, 55

with the open ends opposite the ears I5 and I6. The smaller rectangular portion 20 is turned inwardly from the opposite edge to form the small barrel or tube 2I integrally connected with and adjoining the barrel I9, Figs. 3 and 4. The barrels I9 and 2I may be soldered to each other if desired.

To assemble the bracelet, the spring II is first cut to the desired length. A few turns are then slipped into the large barrel I9 of the connecting member, the wire passing through the slot I8 to permit centering, Fig. 5. The ear's I5 and I6 are then bent at right angles to close the ends of the barrel I9 and lock the spring in the barrel, Figs. 3 and 5. The smaller barrel 2| is adapted to receive the pivot pin (not shown) for attachment to the watch.

If a later adjustment is required, or should the spring II become stretched in use, it is unnecessary to return the bracelet to the factory. The user, or any jeweler, need merely bend open the ear I6 adjacent the slot I8, slip out the end of the spring II, cut off a few turns, slip the spring back in, and bend the ear I6 back into place, relocking the connector.

It can thus be seen that the present invention provides an adjustable expansion bracelet which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble. The present construction provides an easy method of adjusting the length of the bracelet at the time of assembly, at the time of sale, and at any time thereafter by the wearer.

While I have described a specic embodiment of my invention and a speoiiic method of assembly, it is obvious that changes may readily be made in the expansible portion and in the size and shape of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A watch bracelet comprising an expansible portion having a connecting member at each end thereof, each of said connecting members comprising an integral one-piece stamping having an open ended tubular portion with integral closure members adjacent each open end, said tubuvlar portion being adapted to receive the end of the expansible portion, and said closure members being adapted to bend over said end openings to lock said member to said expansible portion.

2. A watch bracelet comprising an expansible portion of spring wire wound in a fiat coil and having a connecting member at each end thereof, each of said connecting members comprising an integral one-piece stamping having an open ended tubular portion with integral closure members adjacent each open end, said tubular portion being adapted to receive a plurality of turns of said spring Wire, and said closure members being adapted to bend over said end openings to lock said member to said Wire, said tubular portion being slotted adjacent one end to permit centering of said Wire with relation 'to said member.

3. In an expansion Watch bracelet having an expansible portion and a -connecting member at each end thereof, a connecting member :comprise ing an integral one-piece stamping having par' a11e1 adjacent tubular portions of unequal .diameter, the smaller portion being adapted to receive 15 1,135,409

a pivot pin for attaching to a watch, the larger tube being adapted to receive the end of the expansible portion and having integral closure members adjacent each end to lock said mem- 5 ber to said expansibie portion.

HARRY CLEINMAN.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS .Name Date Simmons Apr. 13, 1915 .Number 

